Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-04-08
GEN. JOE WHEELER.
HIS "REMINISCENCES OF THE FALL
OF THE CONFEDERAcY.

How Wade Hampton and Joe wheeler
Discussed JEFF Davis Escape-wheeler's
Journey with Alexander stephens and
jefferson Davis to the Northern Prisons.
'. Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, March 81.
| had a chat with Gen. Joe Wheeler the
other day. He now represents one of the
northern congressional districts of Alabama
in the house of representatives, and he is
one of the most striking characters in the
south. He is short and slim, nervous and
why, and he does not weigh all told over 1875
pounds. He has black hair, a dark complex
ion, bright black eyes and full black beard
into which the gray is fast creeping. He
dresses in dark clothes and wears his Prince
Albert coat buttoned tightly around his little
frame, making it look smaller than ever. He
apparently does not care much for dress, and
he wears a soft hat, which he now crowds
down upon his head now sticks in the pocket
of his overcoat, and now carries about under
his arm He is a very popular man among
his fellows, has nothing of the snob about him.
and is as pleasant conversatonalist as you
will find among public men.
Gen. Wheelers career is one of the most ro-
mantle of those described in the congressional
directory. A graduate OF West Point, he
served in Kansas and New Mexico as a lieu
tenant prior to 1861. He then resigned and
joined the Confederacy. and made n
lieutenant of artillery in the Confederate
army. He was then only 25 years old. He
was promoted again and again, and upon the
death of Gen. Zeb Stuart he became the
senior cavalry general of the Confederate
army He was, in fact the Phil Sheridan of
the soutb. and the Confederate congress
nassed a Joint resolution THANKING linn fn, his
success in his military oneratiors Aftor tho
war was over he went hac, to Alabama and
hecame n lawyer and , cotton nlontor Ia
now lives in the ranidlv develoning raqions of
the new south and as he owns n gre,t Amount
Of land there no is nrobablv . vorv woolthy
man 7 cbottad with him about bic oxnor;
ences at the time of the fall of tba Confader
acv He told ma of an intervie,y bo bnd With
President Davis Mt Charlotte " r. inst
after Gen loo Johnston had surrendered to
Sherman Said ba.
-
"Mr Davis had removad tba ooverpne,+
70 charlotte He had a nortion of bis cahinat
with him and WINS surrounded bv all the
naronbernolio If Office We CALLED him Mr.
President and ba gava ne bie orders ond Al.
ractad bis sacrat.r;es II, do euch tbiurs nc no
Thought best rememher that Rreclinridge
was there nc tho sacratarv of war Re,gon os
westminster oener,, and otbars Con Wade
Hamnton and myself we're called in 70 600
Mr. Davis at tho t;ma tho membors Of
bis cabinet were With him Aft.r die
GUESSING the situation with tbe cabinet be
called me to him and told mo ba had
locidad to nova 70 C,oLashorouoh " ~
and that be xyoutad mo IN hr;n,, nv cor,nord
there 7 then had eight brigadas under mo
but hefore had coma IN Charlotte b,d s.on
that tho soldiers cors;darad tha ra,. o. and
7 doubted NV ability tn hold them torotber
told M nsvis the situat;on .Tho snidiars
said 7 think that the war is over md don't
believe thev viii ron,ai, in tho sar,oa ,,,,,o,,
longer 7 cannot bring nv entire com.
mand To Cokesboroupb Int can enlist
enmgb of the hest men for anv now enter.
nrise xou NAV bava IN hand and bring ,nan,
70 anv noint Won NAV choose douht how
ever wbether Co,esborourh would be a good
no;nt Con Stonaman is moving westward
i, Nor,h C,o,oliro ,yi+h bic ,roors o,d ,h.
nl.ca will he occnned hafore vo,, aet tb.ro +,
I a,so told NJ Dav;s that - ba ;ntandaI 70
ev 7 did not tbinl IL hoe, for hin, 70 tala a
LARGO ,ornr,and With hin, &C tbis vo,Id a.
to-. at,antio,, and count It'll Iod,.;sod
him 70 fake an escort If few ncLad men
ud 70 h ,,,s d,,r,;,,oa 10 b.,, , lrco
number N take these troons in addition to
b,If a dovor r;cl,ad n,a,, ,vbn could old in biS
escane in case Of an emergency Mr. Davis
bowever thought that Cokeshorougb was the
nroner noint and he had given ali orders in
PREPARATION for n rendezvous there. He had
ordered Rreckenrdge his secretary of war
70 have 16 OoO horse shoes .ent there and
after he was through talking to me he called
Cen Wade Hamnton n him md asked him
if he tbouobt he could bring his two hripades
to Coke,horougb Gen pamnton renlied.
.Wba,4v.r I order my men To do tbev
will dow a.
sTh;s mt mo in rather q had LIGHT ,sIba 4
claimed that 7 had the hest men in the
soutbern army Az H,mnton and 7 went
awav sa;d 70 him tbat I tbouo,bt be WAC
mistaken about his ability 70 control his mon
and that had nassed tbrougb them on NV
wav N President Davis and that tbev we're
already dishanding of that TINA He found